Closure latch



Mam}! 1965 E. H. KLOVE, JR., ETAL 3,171,677

CLOSURE LATCH Filed April 16, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /6Z' INVENTORSATTORNEY March 2, 1965 Filed April 16, 1963 E. H. KLQVE, JR. ET ALCLOSURE LATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 INVENTORS azaz'zz 5114 0/ 2:

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,171,677 (ILQSURE LATCH Edwin H. Klove,In, Warren, Mich, and Gerhard Rehkugler, Monte Serene, Calif., assignorsto General Motors Qorporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of DelawareFiled Apr. 16, 1863, Ser. No. 273,418 12 Claims. (Cl. 292-216) Thisinvention relates to closure latches and more particularly to vehiclebody door locks.

One feature of this invention is that it provides an improved vehiclebody door lock. Another fetaure of this invention is that it provides animproved vehicle body door lock having a bolt, release means for holdingthe bolt in latched position, and operating means for the release meansincluding a member coupling the operating means and the release meansand being shiftable with respect to both in a single plane in directionsnormal to each other to selectively couple and uncouple the operatingmeans and the release means. A further feature of this invention is thatit provides an improved vehicle body door lock having a bolt, detentmeans releasably holding the bolt in latched position, and operatingmeans for the detent means including an intermittent member carried byan operating lever and being shiftable in a single plane with respectthereto in directions normal to each other between either of twopositions wherein the intermittent member selectively and alternatelycouples and uncouples the operating lever and the detent means.

These and other features of the door lock of this invention will bereadily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partial side elevational view of a vehicle body embodyinga door lock according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partially broken away perspective view of the lock;

FIGURE 3 is a partially broken away view of the lock in unlockedcondition;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing the lock in lockedcondition;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional View taken generally along the plane indicatedby line 55 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken generally along the plane indicatedby line 66 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a vehicle body18 includes a front door 12 and a rear door 14, each of which isswingably mounted in a suitable manner adjacent its forward edge portionon the body 1% for movement between a closed position, as shown, and anopen position, not shown. Door 12 is held in its closed position by adoor lock, such as that shown and described in the copending applicationof Robert M. Fox and Edwin H. Klove, Jr. (A-ZSOO), Serial No. 273,523,filed April 16, 1963, and assigned to the assignee of this invention.Door 14 is held in closed position by a door lock 16 according to thisinvention.

As shown in FIGURES 2 through 6 of the drawings, the lock 16 includes amain frame or plate 18 which is adapted to abut the rear or jamb wall 20of door 14 and to be secured thereto by a number of bolts 22 extendinginto tapped openings provided in the plate 18. A fork type bolt 24 isrotatably mounted on a shouldered stub shaft 26 which extends betweenthe plate 18 and an auxiliary plate 28 which is located in inwardlyspaced relationship to the plate 18. Plate 28 includes a lower laterallyextending wall 30, FIGURE 6, staked at 32 to the plate 18, a pair oflaterally extending side walls 34 and 36 which extend partially towardthe plate 18 and are'located to each side of the wall 38, and anotherlaterally extending wall 38 which extends to plate 18 'ice and is stakedthereto. A pin 40 extend between the walls 34 and 36 and slidably mountsa generally wedge-shaped nylon guide shoe 42 which is normally springbiased outwardly of the body or to the right, as viewed in FIGURES 2, 3and 4, by a coil compression spring 44 which seats against the wedge andwall 34, as shown in FIGURE 4.

When the bolt 24 is in latched position, as shown, the opening 46 of thebolt defined by the legs thereof straddles the shank 48 of a headedstriker pin Stl which is mounted in a suitable manner on the body lockpillar 52, as shown in FIGURE 6. The head of the striker pin bearsagainst the guide shoe 42 so that the pin is effectively trapped betweenthe bolt and the guide shoe. The plate 18 is notched at 54 and the wall28 and inner panel of the door 14 are also notched to permit the strikerpin to enter the lock 16. It will also be noted, as shown in FIGURE 2,that the plate 28 includes a laterally extending accurately shapedflange 56 which abuts a flange 58 of plate 18 and provides a guide forthe head of the striker pin when the striker pin initially enters thelock 16. A coil tension spring 60 hooked between a shoulder 62 of thebolt 24 and an apertured tab 64 of the frame 18 normally biases the boltin a counterclockwise direction toward unlatched position. The bolt islocated in unlatched position, by engagement of the shoulder 66 of thebolt with a lanced lateral tab 68 of the plate 18. The bolt includes twoadjacent shoulders 70 and 72 which are adapted to be alternately engagedby a foot or shoulder 74 of a detent member 76 in order to hold the boltin latched position, as shown, or safety position. The detent 76 ispivotally secured at 78 to the plate 18 and is normally spring biasedclockwise or toward engagement with the bolt 24 by a tension spring 80hooked between a notched lateral tab 82 of the plate 18 and an aperturedlateral flange or leg 84 of the detent.

The outside operating means for moving the detent 76 counterclockwiseand out of engagement with the bolt 24 includes an outside operatinghandle 86 fixedly mounted on the outer panel of door 14 and embodyingconventional push button operating means 88 having a push rod 80. Thepush rod 90 is adapted to abut a vertically elongated operating surfaceor portion 92 of an outside operating lever 94. Lever 94 includes upperand lower lateral flanges 96 and 98, respectively, which are pivotallysecured at 180 and 102 to upper and lower lateral flanges 104 and 106,respectively, of the plate 18. A coil torsion spring 188 surrounds thepivot shaft 109 and has one end 11% thereof bearing against the lever 94and the other end 112 thereof hooked over the flange 104 to normallybias the lever 94 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 2, toits inoperative or nonoperating position, with the lever 94 beinglocated in this position by engagement of a lateral tab 114 thereof withan edge 116 of a notch in flange 186.

The lever 94 fixedly mounts a pair of oppositely extending studs orpivot pins 118 which are pivotally and slidably received in aperturedupper and lower lateral flanges or legs 120 and 122,'respectively, of anintermittent member 124 in order to pivotally and slidably couple theintermittent member to the outside operating member. The intermittentmember extends across the bolt 24 and the detent 76 and is movablebetween an unlocked position, as shown in FIGURE 3, and a lockedposition, as shown in FIGURE 4. When the intermittent member 124 is inits unlocked position, as shown in FIGURE 3, a lateral tab 126 thereofis located adjacent to and opposite a lateral tab or foot 128 of thedetent 7d. When the intermittent member is in this position, and theoutside operating lever 94 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction,as viewed in FIGURE 2, the intermittent member 94 is shifted to the leftas it rotates about the pins 118 so that the foot 126 of theintermittent member engages the foot 128 of the detent to move thedetent counterclockwise about its pivot 78 and move the foot 74 thereofout of engagement with the shoulder '70 of the bolt 24 and permit thespring 60 to move the bolt to unlatched position.

When the intermittent member is in its locked position, as shown inFIGURE 4, it can be seen that movement of the intermittent member to theleft upon rotational movement of the outside operating lever 14 willmove the foot 126 below and past the foot 128 of the detent withoutmoving the detent out of engagement with the bolt 24. The intermittentmember 124 is moved between locked and unlocked positions by a lockinglever 138 which is pivoted at 132 on a lateral flange 134 of the plate18. The locking lever 130 is coupled by a shiftable rod 136 to thegarnish button 138, FIGURE 1, which is mounted on the door 14 in aConventional manner. A lateral flange 144 of the locking lever includesterminal lateral flanges 142 and 144 which straddle a flange 146 of theintermittent member so that upon swinging movement of the locking lever130 about its pivot 132, the flanges 142 and 144 will shift theintermittent member upwardly or downwardly of the operating lever 94between locked and unlocked positions. The locking lever 130 is movablebetween its unlocked position, as shown in FIG- URE 3, and its lockedposition, as shown in FIGURE 4,

' and is held in either of these positions by an overcenter coil typetorsion spring 148 hooked between the locking lever and the flange 134.The locking lever further in cludes an offset foot or tab 150 whichextends through an arcuate slot 152 in the flange 134 and is engageablewith opposite ends of the slot to locate the locking lever in both itslocked and unlocked positions.

From the foregoing description, it will be noted that the intermittentmember 124 is shifted or moved in a generally vertically disposed planebetween locked and unlocked positions when the locking lever is movedbetween its locked and its unlocked positions. It will also be notedthat the locking lever shifts or moves horizontally in this samevertical plane when the member 4 is operated by the push button means88. It should also be noted that the flange 140 of the locking leverprovides a guide or a limit stop for the intermittent member 124 toswingably locate the intermittent member with respect to the operatinglever 94 and detent 76.

The subject look also includes the features of automatic .undogging andkeyless locking. Should the door be in an open position and the garnishbutton depressed to shift the intermittent member 124 to its lockedposition,

as shown in FIGURE 4, and should the door then be closed, the detent 76will ratchet past the shoulders 72 and 70 of the bolt 24 tointermittently swing counterclockwise of the plate 18. As the detent 76swings counterclockwise, a lateral tab 154 provided on leg 156 thereofwill engage an edge 158 of the intermittent member 124 to shift theintermittent member from its locked position, as shown in FIGURE 4, toits unlocked position, as shown in FIGURE 3, and in turn shift thelocking lever 154 from its lockedposition to its unlocked position. Theoutside operating member 94 remains stationary during this movementsince the intermittent member merely slides along the pins 118. v

Keyless locking is accomplished in the same manner as automaticundogging except that the push button means 88 is depressed and heldwhen the door is closed so that the intermittent member 124 is shiftedto the left and the upward swinging movement of the foot 156 of thedetent member as the detent member ratchets past the bolt 24 will causethis foot to swing past the intermittentmember without any engagementbetween the two.

The inside operating means includes a conventional remote handle .160,FIGURE 1, which is mounted on the inner panel of the door and actuates ashiftable remote rod 162. Rod 162 is pivoted 'to an inside operatinglever 164 which 'is pivoted at 166 to an angularly located 4 flange 168of plate 18 and includes a foot engageable with the tab 114 of theoutside operating lever 94 in order to swing the outside operating leverand in turn operate the lock.

Thus, this invention provides an improved door lock.

What is claimed is:

l. A closure latch comprising, in combination, support means, latchmeans mounted on said support means for movement between latched andunlatched positions, detent means for holding said latch means inlatched position, detent release means, means mounting said detentrelease means on said support means for bodily shifting movement in aplane in one direction relative thereto between first and secondpositions and bodily shifting movement in said plane in a directionnormal to said one direction relative thereto in either of saidpositions, and means coupling said release means to said detent means inone of said positions to release said detent means upon movement of saidrelease means in said direction normal to said one direction.

2. A closure latch comprising, in combination, support means, latchmeans mounted on said support means for movement between latched andunlatched positions, detent means for holding said latch means inlatched position, detent release means, means mounting said detentrelease means on said support means for bodily shifting movement in aplane in one direction relative thereto'between first and secondpositions and bodily shifting movement in said plane in a directionnormal to said one direction relative thereto in either of saidpositions, means coupling said release means to said detent means insaid first position'to release said detent means upon movement of saidrelease means in said direction normal to said one direction, meansuncoupling said release means from said detent means in said secondposition and means for moving said release means between said first andsecond positions.

3. A closure latch comprising, in combination, support means, latchmeans mounted on said support means for movement between latched andunlatched positions, detent means for holding said latch means inlatched position,

' detent release means, means mounting said detent release means on saidsupport means for bodily shifting movement in a plane in one directionrelative thereto between first and second positions and bodily shiftingmovement in said plane in a direction normal to said one directionrelative thereto in either of said positions, means coupling saidrelease means to said detent means in said first position to releasesaid detent means upon movement of said release means in said directionnormal to said one direction, means uncoupling said release means fromsaid detent means in said second position, and selectively operablefirst and second means for moving said release means between said firstand second positions.

4. A closure latch comprising, in combination, support means including amain support plate, latch means mounted on said plate for movementbetween latched and unlatched positions, detent means for holding saidlatch means in latched position, means on said plate defining avertically disposed axis extending substantially the full vertical depthof said plate, a detent release member mounted on said axis for slidingmovement therealong between first and second positions relative to saidplate and movement thereabout in either of said positions, and means onsaid release member engageable with said detent means in one of saidpositions to release said detent means upon movement of said releasemember about said axis.

5. A closure latch as recited in claim 4 including inside release means,and means coupling said inside release means to said detent releasemember in at least one of said positions thereof.

6. A closure latch comprising, in combination, support means including amain support plate, latch means mounted on said plate for movementbetween latched and unlatched positions, detent means for holding saidlatch means in latched position and including an operating abutment,shaft means defining a vertically disposed axis extending substantiallythe full vertical depth of said plate, a detent release member mountedon said shaft means for sliding movement therealong between first andsecond positions relative to said plate and swinging movement thereaboutin either of said positions, said release member including an abutmentlocated in opposition to said detent means abutment in one of saidpositions and engageaole therewith to release said detent means uponswinging movement of said release member in said one of said positions,and means for shifting said release member from said one of saidpositions to said other of said positions wherein said release memberabutment is located out of opposition to said detent means abutment.

7. A closure latch comprising, in combination, support means including amain support plate, latch means mounted on said plate for movementbetween latched and unlatched positions, detent means for holding saidlatch means in latched position and including an operating abutment,shaft means defining a vertically disposed axis extending substantiallythe full vertical depth of said plate, a detent release member mountedon said shaft means for sliding movement therealong between first andsecond positions relative to said plate and swinging movement thereaboutin either of said positions, said release member including an abutmentlocated in opposition to said detent means abutment in said firstposition and engageable therewith to release said detent means uponswinging movement of said release member in said one of said positions,inside locking means for shifting said release member from said firstposition to said second position wherein said release member abutment islocated out of opposition to said detent means abutment, and means onsaid detent means for shifting said release member from said secondposition to said first position.

8. A closure latch comprising, in combination, support means including amain support plate, latch means mounted on said plate for movementbetween latched and unlatched positions, detent means for holding saidlatch means in latched position and including an operating abutment, anoutside operating member movably mounted on said plate, shaft meanscarried by said operating member and defining a vertically disposed axisextending substantially the full vertical depth of said plate, anintermittent member mounted on said shaft means for sliding movementtherealong between first and second positions relative to said plate andswinging movement thereabout in either of said positions upon movementof said operating member, said intermittent member including an abutmentlocated in opposition to said detent abutment in said first position andengageable therewith to release said detent means upon movement of saidoperating member when said intermittent member is in said one of saidpositions, and means for shifting said intermittent member from saidfirst position to said second position wherein said intermittent memberabutment is located out of opposition to said detent means abutment.

9. A closure latch as recited in claim 8 wherein said main support plateincludes upper and lower laterally disposed portions, said operatingmember includes upper and lower laterally disposed portions mounted onsaid plate portions, said shaft means are carried by said operatingmember portions, inside release means, and means coupling said insiderelease means to one of said operating member portions in at least oneposition of said intermittent member.

10. A closure latch as recited in claim 9 wherein said inside releasemeans is coupled to said operating member in both positions of saidintermittent member.

11. A closure latch as recited in claim 8 wherein said operating memberincludes a vertically disposed flange portion extending substantiallythe full vertical depth of said plate so as to be engaged at a number ofplaces thereon by outside operating means.

12. A closure latch comprising, in combination, support means includinga main support plate portion, latch means mounted on said main supportplate portion for movement between latched and unlatched positions,detent means for holding said latch means in latched position, means onsaid support means defining a vertically disposed axis extendingsubstantially the full depth of said main support plate portion, adetent release member mounted on said axis for vertical sliding movementtherealong between first and second positions relative to said supportmeans and swinging movement thereabout in either of said positions,means coupling said release member to said detent means in said firstposition to release said detent means upon swinging movement of saidrelease member, means for shifting said release member from said firstto said second position wherein said release member is uncoupled fromsaid detent means, and operating means coupled to said release member ineach of said positions thereof to swing said release member relative tosaid support means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,904,365 Cockburn et al Sept. 15, 1959

1. A CLOSURE LATCH COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, SUPPORT MEANS, LATCHMEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN LATCHED ANDUNLATCHED POSITIONS, DETENT MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID LATCH MEANS INLATCHED POSITION, DETENT RELEASE MEANS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID DETENTRELEASE MEANS ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS FOR BODILY SHIFTING MOVEMENT IN APLANE IN ONE DIRECTION RELATIVE THERETO BETWEEN FIRST AND SECONDPOSITIONS AND BODILY SHIFTING MOVEMENT IN SAID PLANE IN A DIRECTIONNORMAL TO SAID ONE DIRECTION RELATIVE THERETO IN EITHER OF SAIDPOSITIONS, AND MEANS COUPLING SAID RELEASE MEANS TO SAID DETENT MEANS INONE OF SAID POSITIONS TO RELEASE SAID DETENT